


Coffee

by starsinger



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Coffee, Gen, Whiskey - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 02:19:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6934111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsinger/pseuds/starsinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coffee is a necessity, even when you’re on a Starship in the vastness of space. Just ask Jim. Inspired by gifs Jo published following the new Star Trek Beyond Trailer. Don’t own them. Sorry it’s late, Jo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee

Jim had one thought that morning. Well, two, the first being the modified shirts Starfleet was now making them wear. It had a collar that was confining. Okay, so maybe it also hid the hickey Bones sucked into his neck the night before. No, he was determined to not go back to the night before. He loved his husband, dearly, but sometimes it was like coming home to a teenager. Did he just think that? Shouldn’t Bones be thinking that, never mind.

Jim’s second thought was that he honestly didn’t know what he’d do without his Yeoman. Janice was clean, efficient, and always managed to have a cup of coffee thrust into his hands and a PADD waiting for him when he sat down in his chair. Janice knew exactly the way he liked it, black and strong. He had gone through three Yeoman before he stumbled on Rand. She’d come up to him and proclaimed she was it, he needed no other Yeoman. Then proceeded to hand him his coffee and PADD, with reports sorted into priorities and dates. He agreed immediately and reaped the benefits of it ever since.

Chekov grinned from the helm as he watched his Captain slowly inhale the aroma from the cup. Jim didn’t drink it, he made love to it. First, the inhalation of the aroma as it wafted up into his nostrils. Then came the sigh of approval as his eyes lit up. Then, he glanced at the PADD on the arm of the chair. Then he returned his attention to the cup. He held it in both his hands and took a sip. “Oh, that’s good,” he groaned after the first sip. He then closed his eyes and reveled in the rush of caffeine poured into his system. He took another sip as Bones slipped onto the Bridge and stood beside his chair.

Jim carefully set the coffee cup on the chair and picked up the PADD finally, and looked up at Bones. “How’s Sickbay? Geoff blow it up yet?” It was a daily joke. Somehow, a fire had broken out in Sickbay a year into their five year mission while Geoff was on duty. When the fire brigade had shown up they found Geoff trying to put it out using his uniform top and a can he thought was water. It wasn’t. Fortunately, Geoff hadn’t gotten the top off before Spock intercepted it. They discovered the substance would have blown up the Sickbay if he’d succeeded. Geoff was still trying to live that down.

“No, Jim, not since we moved the Chemistry department down the corridor,” Bones said with the roll of his eyes. On cue the entire Bridge crew laughed, except Spock. He never laughed.

Jim skimmed through the daily reports and nearly choked on the next sip of coffee. “Wait? What?” he asked reading a correspondence. “Chekov, set course for Mars. Sulu, you have the conn. Spock, Bones you’re with me.”

Both men followed Jim, who had made sure that cup of coffee was still in his hand, into the turbolift. “Uh, Jim, where are we going,” Bones finally asked.

“My office, I’ve received an invitation from Starfleet Command, Admiral Roberts,” Jim said thrusting the PADD at Spock. “I realize that the further out we get the longer it takes for communications to reach us, but this is ridiculous.”

“Indeed,” Spock replied reading the message. Bones read the message as Spock continued, “This was dated a week ago. Even if we’d started back to Earth then we’d still be two weeks late.” The message read that they had an opening for repairs at the Utopia Planitia Shipyards. Repairs the Enterprise desperately needed, yesterday. Only catch, they had to be there day after tomorrow.

Jim leaned his head back against the wall and sighed, “We’ve been exploring three years now without anything more than minor repairs. Scotty is in despair every time a Jeffries Tube short circuits. Something that is a daily occurrence. We need those repairs.” The doors opened up as the three men exited and entered Jim’s office. Jim pressed a button, asking Uhura to help him send a message to Admiral Roberts, Mars.

“Steven, I know this is late, but we really need these repairs. It will take,” Jim looked at Spock.

“Eighteen days, five hours, and fifty-three point six minutes,” Spock replied.

“To get back to Mars. Please bear in mind I received your message today,” he said before sending it off. Jim stared at his coffee cup. It was empty. The message had been first thing on his PADD, she knew how important it was.

“How long before we receive a reply?” Bones asked.

Jim looked at Spock. “Too many factors come into play to make an estimate, Doctor. I suggest we return to the Bridge.”

Hours later Jim sat with Bones in the Officer’s Lounge. Bones had poured them both a glass of whiskey. Jim sighed. “My Dad didn’t have it this hard,” Jim said.

“Your Dad was Captain for all of five minutes, Jim. You’ve been doing this for four years, remember? Jim, you’re your own man. You don’t have to live in your father’s shadow anymore. You’ve forged your own path. Everyone on this ship mean you when they say ‘Captain Kirk’,” Bones told him.

Jim looked down at his glass, then back at his husband before scrubbing his face with a hand. “I ran across a crewman today who had been on the Kelvin when I was born. All he could say was how much I looked like my Dad. How long will that keep happening.”

Bones opened his mouth before the communications whistle sounded through the Lounge. “Bridge to Captain Kirk,” the Communications officer announced.

Jim rose and walked over to the wall. He hit it, “What is it, Lieutenant?”

“A return message from Admiral Roberts marked urgent,” came the breathless reply.

“Send it to my PADD,” Jim said. He slid back into his chair and picked up the PADD. He blew a sigh of relief before looking back at Bones. “Good news. They’re holding a space for us on Mars. We’re getting those repairs.” Bones watched as he forwarded the message to Scotty. They both could hear the whoop of celebration as Scotty entered the Lounge.

“Well, I’m glad we have some good news,” Jim told Bones. “Hopefully, repairs will take long enough for people to visit their families,” Jim said, caressing Bones’ hand. Bones knew what he meant and smiled. Jim, as selfish as his outward appearance often appeared, often thought of others when making decisions. It made him a good captain. Something Jim’s father never found out about himself. Jim’s crew would follow him to hell and back, and no one would complain.

 


End file.
